GRADUATION DAY – Apple Montessori students recently celebrated their kindergarten graduation. The children performed skits from Disney movies. "We are all very proud of this year’s graduates, and we are happy to be a part of developing their foundation for a lifetime of school success," said Marilyn Morales of Montessori.

A 5-year-old girl and her 4-year-old brother fell out of a window on the third floor of a North Bergen residence on Tuesday, June 25.

Witnesses said the children saw a friend on the ground and went to wave to the child when the screen in the window gave way.

On Wednesday morning, the girl was in guarded but stable condition at the Jersey City Medical Center and the boy was in critical condition.

Landlords of buildings are required to put child safety guards on windows if parents request them.

‘Light’ Opera in North Bergen

Grove Reformed Church in North Bergen will give music lovers some operatic hors d’oeuvres on Saturday, June 29, at 7 p.m., when they present “Opera-Go-Lightly,” a musical benefit featuring standards “made fun and accessible.”

The performances will include compositions from Candide, Carmen, The Pearl Fishers, and The Barber of Seville. Also featured will be well-known numbers from the theatrical performances of Oklahoma, West Side Story, The Mikado, and the Vagabond King, as well as scenes from Hansel & Gretel.

Requested donations are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (65-plus) and students, and $5 for children under 12. Proceeds will benefit a neighborhood children’s ministry.

Grove Reformed Church is located at 46th Street and Kennedy Boulevard. There will be free parking in the rear of the church.

For more information, call (201) 863-7030 or visit www.grovereformedchurch.org.

State report questions use of attorneys in North Bergen, West New York

A report by the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) has found that local governments are failing to control “excessive and improper payments” for legal services.

The report was the result of a review of five local governments that found “repeated waste of taxpayer dollars on excessive or improper payments for legal services, including one town that paid a salary for an attorney with no job duties at all.”

North Bergen and West New York were the two Hudson County municipalities that were included in the report.

“What we found were repeated failures to review legal bills and manage legal contracts in a way that looks out for taxpayers,” said Comptroller Matthew Boxer. “Public officials need to scrutinize their legal bills as if they were paying for them out of their own pocket.”

In North Bergen, the OSC said it found a salaried attorney with a “no-work job,” though the office did not name the individual. The report said township officials were not able to provide any information on the attorney’s job responsibilities.

The report also talked about the township’s regular attorney. The audit had stated that as a result of Herb Klitzner’s “dual positions as North Bergen’s Township Attorney and Of Counsel with the Chasan (Chasan Leyner & Lamparello, P.C.) firm,” his alleged actions described in the report of referring township work to Chasen “appear to be a violation of the Local Government Ethics Law.”

A township spokesman took umbrage with the report’s assessment.

“We strongly object to the comptroller’s report in two key areas,” said Paul Swibinski. “First, the township attorney does not have a conflict of interest, and the state Supreme Court said there was no conflict of interest in 1995. There is still no conflict of interest. Earlier this month, Supreme Court Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto said he reviewed the report and said there is no conflict. We say the Supreme Court and Soto are right, and the comptroller’s report is wrong.”

Second, the charge that “North Bergen had on the town payroll someone who did no work is also false,” Swibinski said. “It was investigated by the Hudson County Prosecutor and he found no evidence of wrongdoing. The fact of the matter is the attorney was doing work for the township of North Bergen.”

In West New York, the OSC found that the town allegedly paid one law firm at the attorney rate of $150 per hour for administrative work that could be performed by a secretary. It also reported that in multiple months, West New York allegedly paid the law firm more than it was billed.

Guttenberg to host free July 18 concert

The Town of Guttenberg will host “Time Machine” as part of its Summer Concerts for residents on Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m. between 70th and 71st Streets on Boulevard East.

Time Machine is billed as “like listening to a human jukebox; constantly changing styles.”

Volunteers sought to aid foster care children

Are you interested in helping children in the foster care system? If so, Hudson County CASA (court appointed special advocate) is recruiting volunteers to assist in advancing the interests of abused and neglected children.

“CASA works through trained community volunteers to ensure that needed services and assistance are made available to children while helping to move them toward safe and permanent homes,” said spokeswoman Meghan Garcia.

An information session will be held Tuesday, July 9, from 6 to 7 p.m., Room 400, at the Hudson County Administration Building, 595 Newark Ave., Jersey City.

CASA and its volunteers speak for children in court, serve as fact finders for judges, and advocate for children while they are in the foster care system. Hudson County has nearly 700 children in foster care; most have been removed from their homes for abuse or neglect.

To learn more about CASA, call (201) 795-9855, e-mail mgarcia@hudsoncountycasa.org or visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org.

U.S. Citizenship Exam Training offered at library

Registration is under way for the North Bergen Public Library’s summer programs, which will run from July 8 through Aug. 23.

The summer offerings are open to North Bergen and Guttenberg residents. Interested parties should register in person, and must bring proof of age and residency.

One of the programs is “U.S. Citizenship Exam Training,” offered on Saturdays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Go to www.nbpl.org for a complete list.

For more information about the library, or any of its programs, visit the facility at 8411 Bergenline Ave. or call (201)-869-4715.